If you're going to wish for something unrealistic why don't you just wish for $500,000 so you can buy all the original 2600s you want?

I don't think you could make an empty 2600 case with all pots, knobs and jacks and sell it for $1000 retail without going out of business pretty quickly, at least not at the kind of quantities you'd expect to sell in the market for synths without patch memory. I suppose you could do it really cheaply like the korg MS20 controller, but look how that worked out for them, and it couldn't make any sounds by itself.

Speaking of unrealistic, Santa just bring me oodles of talent I currently lack, this Christmas. Then I may work wonders with the gear I already possess.

I am no longer in pursuit of vintage synths. The generally absurd inflation from demand versus practical use and maintenance costs is no longer viable. The internet has suffocated and vanquished yet another wonderful hobby. Too bad.
--Solderman no more.

If someone did do something like that people would just complain that it didn't sound like the original though.

The MS2000 is a good example, I remember when I first got into synths I really wanted one cause I'd played around with a friend's MS-20 and loved it, and I thought the MS2000 was the same but newer and better. Then I realised that they didn't sound the same and I didn't like it any more, now I appreciate the sound for what it is, a great sounding modern synth.

A 2600 remake like you described would be a really niche product IMO because it has all the shortcomings of the old synth (you couldn't have patch memory if it was semi-modular) but because it was being built down to a price there would be some discrepancies with the sound compared to the original and so the purists would turn their noses up at it.

Keep in mind also that if it was digital each patch output would need a DA convertor and each input an AD one, which would push up the price considerably. The MS20i controller didn't run audio through the patch points, it was just done with logic so you couldn't put any external effects into the signal path or use it with other modular gear.

There is a lot of stuff out there that is functionally close (FR XS, various modulars, M5N, Dark Energy, Evolver, etc) but doesn't have the 2600 sound. We should be thankful for them and use them to their limits instead I think.

Phollop,
So you really don’t care what it sounds like as long as it looks like a 2600? Admittedly, the 2600 looks cool and a half size VA 2600 would be cute but you’re really running into “what is the point” territory.

I was going to suggest that if you were thrifty and resourceful, you could probably build a fairly close approximation of a 2600 for < 1000. The expensive part of DIY synths are usually the panels and hardware. So if you bought bulk knobs, switches, jacks (particularly at a group-buy level) and electronic components, make your own circuit boards, you could do it. Of course if you wanted it to look very similar to a 2600, that is where you’ll either have to become very creative or spend some cash. Professional panels are expensive and a pro panel the size of a 2600 would be very expensive but there are alternatives for the creative. A eurorack sized mini 2600 would be cool (smaller jacks, smaller controls, etc. = smaller control surface). Of course you would be making some concessions on the components used but then so would any manufacturer and yours would probably be better anyway because you wouldn’t be using surface mount, all hand soldered/wired (people pay a lot for that in the amp world).

otto wrote:Phollop,
So you really don’t care what it sounds like as long as it looks like a 2600? Admittedly, the 2600 looks cool and a half size VA 2600 would be cute but you’re really running into “what is the point” territory. ......

Not true, as long as it sounds as 'Arpish" and acts and works (simulated) like an Arp 2600. You couldn't get it to be an exact replica without doing an analogue engine, but you could emulate with something like an Aturia 2600V sound engine.